I had high hopes for this book based off of the blurb, but in the end i felt disappointed. It was slow going in the first half of the book and I had a hard time keeping myself engrossed in the story. It honestly just felt like a giant cluster of greed, jealousy and revenge. And I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and author Sara Ochs for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I simply wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. Cass and Brooke were both so interesting. This book delivers twist after twist. I wasn't obsessed with the length but the multi-layered characters and story entertained me and kept me guessing until the very end. It was such a well crafted and well written book. Can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. Scuba diving, resort life, and a group of friends keeping secrets from one another. What could go wrong?

This was a dual POV thriller that jumped into the mystery quickly, but also as quickly became a little far fetched and difficult to believe. I tend not to enjoy books with unreliable narrators (made unreliable by drug use—in this case, Xanax and drinking), and this was no exception. There wasn’t much compelling about the characters as it got rolling.

Ultimately this fell flat for me and I wanted more depth, more believable motive and complexity. Onto the next book!

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!

The book was ok/good in some parts. The epilogue and prologue were the best parts for me. I felt there were a lot of people to keep track of and things got a little confusing, and some parts were mundane. But it was definitely an interesting concept. I would read more by this author.

Solid Tropical Murder Mystery Will Be Problematic For Some. Straight up, this book features an "on-screen" rape and an "off screen" predatory "relationship" between a teacher and a student. And yes, that last bit is a bit spoilery - but it is also something a lot of readers are going to want to know about before they get to that point in the tale. If either of those issues are absolute no-gos for you, you're going to want to avoid this book.

But if you're still here... beyond those two issues, this book was a *great* cat and mouse thriller that has twists almost literally through the last page of the text, and you're going to need to be clairvoyant to catch the last one in particular because it comes that far out of left field, but in a Now You See Me type manner where well, you were just looking too closely.

It also uses its tropical setting absolutely stunningly, in all its beauty... and perils. This book is going to make you want to go to Thailand and find one of these remote island resorts... but just be careful about it. :D And if you read J.M. LeDuc's Eastern Drift, based in Miami but featuring a trip to Thailand itself, near in time to reading this book - as I did - you're *really* going to be tempted to look up pricing for flights out to Bangkok. (Looks like around $3K for a late April 2024 round trip flight, staying a week. Just saving you some time on a casual check. :D)

But seriously, the scenery is both beautiful and visceral in this tale - you're going to feel like you're there as much as you want to be there. Indeed, the scenery is used so well in the tale that at times it actively overshadows the overall plot... but that is actually a great thing in the early stages of a tale such as this, because I in particular almost *want* that to happen in a book such as this. Ground me in the lush tropical setting. Give me some hints of some trouble, but have it overall be about just how amazing this place is. *Then* hit me with the "well... paradise for some may be hell for others" bit. Which Ochs does spectacularly, then proceeds to ratchet up the tension and ultimately action sublimely.

Again, if you can withstand the onscreen rape and offscreen predatory "relationship"... this truly is an excellent book that I sincerely hope the author can replicate in future works. Very much recommended.

Having been on many dive trips to tropical islands I found the dive resort aspect of this book to give me all the good feels. I could feel the warm sunshine, along with the high humidity, see the palm trees, and taste the salty water while waiting for divers to load up the dive boat with their gear to head out to the reef. I liked the island vibe and the group of permanents as they felt like a good family. But don't let all of this fool you as there are sinister things happening on this island, and plenty of drama (but not too much as to drag the plot down). The story is told in two alternating POVs from Cass and Brooke. This keeps the reader guessing who the killer could be, and I admit I changed my mind a few times before figuring it out. Still, that ending surprised the heck out of me. Well done, Sara Ochs! Congratulations on your debut novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
I loved the setting of The Resort by Sara Ochs, it was well described and I was able to picture myself there. I did not expect the ending; until the epilogue I thought that the story was extremely predictable.
I did find the book a bit slow, especially in the beginning, but I was glad that I pushed through.
Overall The Resort is worth reading for thriller fans.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

The Resort would make a great beach read for those who prefer suspense to romance in their vacation reading. I loved just about everything about this novel.

The story unfolds through Cass and Brooke in alternating chapters. It is told in first person point of view but I didn't have trouble remember who was the narrator of each chapter.

Cass is a "permanent" (an expat) who works at the resort as a dive master. Brooke is an Instagram travel influencer who has recently arrived at the resort. The main cast is made up of 4 other resort visitors and 4 other permenants who work at the resort. While it isn't unusual to go on vacation to get away from regular life, these characters are all hiding deeper secrets.

The only characters we really get to know are the two narrators as we only know the other characters through Brooke and Cass. This made figuring out the culprit(s) difficult - it was easier to rule out who wasn't involved.

Thailand was a good place to set the story. Corruption and illegal activities lurk just below the beautiful setting. This setting made the plot more believable. The island is small and heavily reliant on tourism. While there are a few other businesses on the island, the resort is the major employer. The permanents know that if tourism dried up or the resort went under the lives they have carefully crafted on the island would come to an end. With their secrets that's enough of a motive to cover up anything that might harm tourism or the resort.

I had trouble putting down the book. It was perfectly paced as clues are doled out just enough to keep the reader engaged but to allow time to shift what the reader believes to be true.

As I mentioned we don't get to know the other characters as well as Brooke and Cass as we only get to see them through the lenses of Brooke and Cass. So one of the things I didn't like was the epilogue. It felt a little forced as there were no indications or clues in the rest of the novel to what was revealed. Unless of course, it is meant to serve as a jumping-off point for a sequel.

Up to that point, I was loving the book and definitely recommend reading it.

If you think this plot sounds familiar but not the title, The Resort is the U.S. title. It was released last summer in the U.K. under the title The Dive.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/02/the-resort-by-sara-ochs-review.html

This book was good. Just good. It kept my attention, built great suspense and good characters. My main issue is the twists. They were both pretty lame. The first reveal is my least favorite of any reveal. Using rape as a plot twist story line feels like a cheap cop out for shock value. Like they couldn’t come up with anything interesting so they threw in an overly detailed trauma. It upset me so much I almost stopped reading. The twist about what happened in the hotel was weird because why?? It was just strange and dull compared to its build up. I loved the epilogue

There is trouble in paradise when people staying at the Koh Sang Resort start dying. And it seems as though some of the staff at the resort have some serious secrets to hide. You find out right away that Cass, one of the narrators and a dive instructor at the resort, came to Koh Sang for anonymity and a fresh start. Lately, she begins to have an unsettling feeling that someone is watching her. Her worst fears come true when she finds ominous and threatening letters left on her doorstep. She's been so careful at starting over - how could someone from her past find her? When tragedy begins to strike the resort, Cass can't help but question her own frame of mind and sanity. Is it possible that history is repeating itself?

The Resort will give you some of those 'locked room' vibes with its setting on a remote island in Thailand. I loved how the employees at the resort each had something to hide and the anticipation of finding out their secrets. I also enjoy an unreliable narrator (Cass) because you're not quite sure if you can put your trust in them. Overall, this was a slow burn with several things coming into play that kept me guessing. The Resort is an enjoyable and twisty read!

I started this one in August and finished it in February if that tells you anything. It really makes you work for it and gets going about 85% in. The ending is a roller coaster and kept me flipping pages though!

The WOW factor of this book...
Content warning: Mental illness, pedophilia, self-harm, trauma

This book was thought provoking and so jaw dropping because of the craziest twists and secrets all of the characters had. I didn't see the end coming at all and was completely shocked!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book!

There was a lot going on in this book, but not in a way where you were lost or confused. The plot was executed in such a clever way, that you were left guessing the whole way through. There were twists and turns galore, some small and some really big ones. I enjoyed the pace of this story. There were so many unreliable narrators that you didn't know who or what to believe. There was no way I would've guessed the major twist. No way AT ALL! The Resort is gripping, action packed, and such a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Resort is a thriller about a beach resort in Thailand where murder seems to be a regular occurrence. It is twisted, suspenseful and full of unreliable narrators and so many red herrings. It was a fun and wild ride with a beautiful setting and the ending absolutely threw me for a loop.

This was my first read from this author and I would have no problem reading her in the future. The location where this story takes place is not one that I have ever been interested in visiting and the author absolutely describes it so beautifully. While I may never visit, I can understand the beauty through her words. Secrets aplenty from every single character we meet-some dangerous, others benign. The author weaves the story very well with some very well placed twists that are unexpected but necessary to pull the story together believably. A very good psychological thriller.

Cass and Brooke are intertwined in many ways, their pasts, presents, and futures in ways they neither of them even know. When Brooke finds her way to the tropical island on the resort where Cass works she quickly learns that everyone around her has secrets and some of those secrets could be deadly.

This book was very well woven with some intricate characters that are all well developed. The story takes many turns that I never saw coming. I really enjoyed it!

I have to admit it. I almost DNF’d this book. However, the reward at the end of this story is better than any treasure one expects to find on the beach.

There was nothing bad about the start of this book; there are a lot of characters and moving pieces in the beginning as the author is building up the backstory and laying the blueprints. But I found it to drag a little bit. So I took my Kindle to a doctor’s appointment and was committed to finishing this book. And I am so happy I did.

Around the 35% mark, the book starts taking off. As the past lives of our characters begins to unfold, the story is thick with tension. The author is successful with this because there are so many characters and everyone is hiding something. What drove me a little crazy in the beginning from moving slowly, is what ends up eventually making this mystery so chaotic and enjoyable. I appreciated seeing someone take a different approach: instead of one character having secrets and being deceptive, several are and in varying degrees. Even the minor characters are harboring secrets. It would not be a stretch to say no one in this story is completely honest.

The characters are all in the “morally grey” category. You will feel like you love a character and then they do something that makes you give them major side-eye. Then you’ll feel uneasy about another character, only to never really be able to put your finger on why.

The ending of this story was wild. The finale impacts every single character in a major way, which was, again, a departure from the norm. Usually, we see a few characters majorly affected, and then it trickles down. With this book, every character experiences life-changing effects.

There is also an epilogue to this story. It will blow your mind. I was torn between feeling sad when I read it, and also feeling like I wanted to read the entire book again with the new information, because I felt I’d see the story differently.

Read this if:

1. You like crazy twists
2. You love a tropical paradise setting with an air of mystery
3. You want something that breaks the mold just enough to be thrilling in new ways

Interesting twist at the very end. A lot of trauma dropped in but a compelling story nonetheless! The interconnectedness of the characters and the perspective made it mysterious what what going on in truth.

After the prologue, I was worried this would be too much like several other thrillers that have come out recently, and was pleasantly surprised that it went in another direction. Great for fans of an unreliable narrator, and extra twisty twists.